METAL SHOCK FINLAND have asked various musicians their thoughts and opinions about the legendary singer Ronnie James Dio and you can read some of their responses below:

Tracy G (DIO): “IT WAS AN HONOR TO WORK WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST SINGERS IN METAL AND HARD ROCK MUSIC FROM 93 TO 99…..RONNIE WAS A GREAT GUY AND HAD THE BEST TONE TO HES VOICE…..NEVER TAKING LESSONS AND NEVER HAD TO WARM UP..HE WOULD TELL ME ..WHY WARM UP.ITS JUST WASTED OF TIME..HE WOULD SAVE ALL HES VOCALS FOR THE STAGE………A TRUE NATURAL SINGER….HES WAS ONE OF THE BEST FOR SURE..LONG LIVE RONNIE JAMES DIO”

Graham Oliver (OLIVER/DOWSON SAXON, EX- SAXON): “I first saw Ronnie in 1976 with RAINBOW and it was a great show and jumping forwards to SAXON,s first tour of the USA in September 1980 we played some show on the HEAVEN AND HELL tour where we met Ronnie and our paths crossed a few times. When ODS were promoting Angel Airs ITS ALIVE CD we were on the same show as RONNIE in ITALY and chatted a lot about all things music ect and to our delight Ronnie asked for ODS to be the guest band on the UK leg of KILLING THE DRAGON tour ,it started in LONDON and finished in PORTSMOUTH all the shows were great and sellouts and on the last show after our set i was asked to join the band on stage for RAINBOW IN THE DARK how great was that Steve Dawson videoed it thank goodness and introduced me as a legend. And coming from one of my legends that was the best ,he was always so nice with friends and fans after the shows and was one of the greatest rock singers of all time.”

Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH): “Ronnie and I were good friends and I miss him very much. We did have plans to work together. We were on tour with Heaven And Hell in the UK back in 2007, and even before that we talked about doing a project together. But it was difficult to get our schedules lined up. When we were on that tour we got more serious about it, and unfortunately it wasn’t very long after that we found out Ronnie had cancer and obviously that changed everything.

I loved Ronnie as a human being, certainly as a heavy metal legend, but to me he was much more than that, because he was such a genuine person.

It didn’t matter who he was talking to, he always listened to them and looked them in the eye. He was a very genuine special guy and this world is going to miss Ronnie Dio.“

Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon) : “Ronnie was and will always be my favorite power singer of all time. Not only did he have a fabulous technique, but most of all I love the sound of his voice. He could sing raw and powerful, but also clean and gentle. And his deep and slow vibrato was the best ever. Never did I hear him sing out of tune. I even love his crooning pre-Elf stuff. I had the pleasure to meet him once, must have been quite a sight…the giant talking to the little guy Sadly I never had the pleasure of actually working with him, now that would have been a dream come true… Damn..I’m gonna listen to Stargazer again…horns up!”

Glenn Five-Gyorffy (EX-ANVIL): “Ronnie was as genuine as they come. When he was meeting someone, whether it was a fellow musician or fan, he was genuinely meeting you. Not just going through the motions. The first time I met Ronnie I got to spend about 15 minutes with him over breakfast after a very early hotel check-in in Italy after a long night of travel from Canada. It was such a thrill for me to sit and chat with one of my first heroes of music as Rainbow was one of my first fave bands. About 12 hours later- at the festival that we were there to play-I was passing by Ronnie and I said hello to him. He looked at me and said ‘Hey Glenn, how has your day been?’. I thought it was amazing that a guy like Ronnie James Dio-who probably spent his day doing lots of press and meeting all sorts of people in his daily routine-remembered my name. The last time I got the chance to see Ronnie I remember a very happy man enjoying his life and running around with Phil Campbell from Motorhead having a blast like a couple of kids. A great way to remember a legend…with a smile on his face…having fun.”

Richard Holmgren (WOLF): “Growing up I listened to Ronnie alot and Im a huge Black Sabbath fan as well as DIO and Heaven and hell, but I have to say hes greatest work is with Rainbow.In my years of singin and writing lyrics Ronnies been a great influence to my own work and hes way of using hes voice to get the message told in the songs. My favorite since they were released and still are Rainbow rising,Mob rules and Holydiver, that might be the best cover art for an album ever. I think when Ronnie past away a bit of music history and future realy died with him. He was a perfectionist and artist and made no compromise, thats why you can hear is honesty in the songs. I think most people was well met by him and he listened to people that came close to him. He had a burning passion for hes work and it will live on and on and on as Ronnie would say. He will always be missed and when he died he took a bit of the heavy music history with him. I dont think there will be anybody filling hes shoes in a 1000 years. R.I.P Ronnie, You were the greatest, Long live Rockn Roll.”

ALEX LANDENBURG (Rhapsody, Angel’s Cry, Mekong Delta, 21Octayne, Symfonia, Stratovarius, Annihilator…): “I haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Ronnie James Dio in person but like anyone who is into our kind of music I’ve been a fan ever since I heard his voice for the first time. There will always be other great singers but there won’t be another Dio again, simple as that!”

Andrea Ferro (LACUNA COIL): “I just met Ronnie once in our hometown in Italy (Milan), I had the opportunity to be there since the soundcheck and then I’ve been introduced to him. He was a very humble and cool guy, his voice was really powerful and louder then anything else, I will always remember him as the positive force of heavy metal!”

Niclas Engelin (Engel, In Flames): “How can I describe my admiration for Ronnie`s work in just a few lines?? To me, Ronnie is still alive through all the godless music he contributed with in all constalations he was involved in. Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, Elf & Heaven & Hell just pure magic!! Listen to the song The Sign Of The Southern Cross from the Mob Rules/Black Sabbath album and you just fall in love.”

Superstar Joey Severance (TORNADO): “while i didnt know Ronnie James Dio personally his music is a HUGE inspiration in my life. he is my second favorite singer of all time (after john fogerty) and for sure the best metal singer we’ve ever had in our genre……for our second demo,Tornado did a cover of “the king of rock n roll” which might show up somewhere but in the meantime i do have a great dio story…….i was tour managing nuclear assault some years ago at graspop and while i was walking back to the office to get paid i was reading one of the guys passports and not paying attention to where i was walking…..anyway, i bumped into someone and when i looked up (because everyone is taller than me) there was no one there so i look down a bit and scream out “oh shit, its dio!!” he kinda smiled……i was so excited that i almost shit myself so instead i said “oh man dio, i would love an autograph but i have nothing to write with” he said to me “no worries, have some of this” and proceeded to hand me the icky of the sticky……needless to say, that is a memory i will never forget. ronnie james dio forever!! \m/”

Ilker Ersin (POWERWORLD): “Ronnie James Dio was one of the greatest voices we ever had. He was a source for inspiration for many singers and musicians. I know him as gentleman and nice person. His voice will live forever on the recordings he did.”